Posted By Juliet Fennell Please help me with the following. Our staff use petrol as fuel for boats, outdoor equipment generators etc. We are an enforcement agency therefore fuel for engines is always refilled on the return journey. We have many plastic petrol fuel tanks & used to use aluminium ones. The alluminium ones appear to be forbidden now any reason why? Petrol is also transported in small plastic screw top containers (designed for petrol)which may be carried in the back of a jeep/car. I am convinced petrol should be transported in "explosion proof" containers. What is such a container & what is the standard to specify? Are there any additional guidelines - should they be vented or not? can you get these for fuel tanks for boats. Finally is there a guideline on how far from buildings (not houses) the petrol storage area should be? Thanks, Juliet

Posted By David Zwart Here are some information sources you may find useful. I've cut and pasted some info from the HSE website which is an excellent source of information. The APEA too are well worth contacting. Containers for storing petrol should NOT be vented. Approved containers can be bought at most petrol filling stations. Petrol vapour is lethal in small concentrations as it forms an explosive mixture between 1 & 7 % volume in air. Guidance on the storage of petrol and relationship to buildings is given in HS(G) 146 which gives guidance and advice on risk assessment. It is primarily for petrol stations but does cover smaller storage areas too. HSE guidance book HS(G) 51 The Storage of Flammable Liquids in Containers. You can get it from www.hsedirect.com More detailed information is contained in the booklet, Dispensing petrol: Assessing and controlling the risk of fire and explosion at sites where petrol is stored and dispensed, HS(G)146, ISBN 0 7176 1048 9 available from HSE Books, and also the APEA/IP Code of practice for the design, construction and operation of petrol filling stations, available from The Administrator, Association for Petroleum and Explosives Administration, PO Box 2, Hadleigh, Suffolk IP7 5SF. HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from: HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS, tel 01787 881165, fax 01787 313995.

Posted By Robert K Lewis Juliet I'm not sure as to some of your terminology. I presume that you are talking in terms of 1 gallon cans which can be used to fill such as outboard motor fuel tanks and refilling these at a garage on the return journey. The advice given whilst good may not have identical counterparts in Ireland. Metal cans disappeared because of the electrostatic risks and as another respondent has said no can may be vented. The follow on from this is that the cans should be kept in a cool sheltered place. I think ideally you would allow no more than one 1 gallon can in any vehicle and this to be in the boot of the vehicle. If a number of vehicles are kept in a yard overnight it would be sensible to inform the local fire brigade but the increased risk compared to the fuel tank of the vehicle is negligible. If however you choose to take these containers out at night you will definitely need a formal flammable storage and such as a flam-vault would suit. You will then need Fire extinguishers and emergency plans - Talk to your Fire Authority for full details. 6 metres or a fire resistant wall is the normal segregation Bob